Aid RFA Journalists Affected by Earthquake

Radio Free Asia’s journalists inside Myanmar should be reporting on the earthquake that has caused so much tragedy in recent days.

However, RFA Burmese contractors were amongst the first to be impacted by the Trump administration’s executive order, which overnight stopped funding to a non-profit organisation whose sole mission is to deliver uncensored, accurate, and timely domestic news.

Ninety-three per cent of RFA Burmese’s contractors were let go with no severance payments.

Now, many have lost their homes to the earthquake, and some have lost relatives.

There is no safe way to be an independent journalist in Myanmar. We cannot show their faces. Doing so would put their lives and their families at risk.

This GoFundMe account is managed by retired RFA jounaliat Tin Aung Khine on behalf of and to help former colleagues in Myanmar, who says:

”I worked for RFA Burmese for almost 25 years. I know how my colleagues must be feeling right now, unable to work when they are needed most. I worry about how they will feed their families. They are upset they cannot help tell the world what is happening inside their country.

Outside of Myanmar, a handful of people at RFA are doing their best to keep the news flowing into a country that desperately needs information. For those inside Myanmar, it’s about survival."

In a country where it’s hard to ensure that aid gets to the right people, your support will go directly to RFA journalists inside Myanmar and to their families. This is direct aid when it is needed most. The funds will be sent directly to colleagues to help cover immediate living expenses and short-term recovery costs.